Think Globally, Not Locally

Planning ahead saves money. For every dollar spent in global preparation you may save $10 later.

Consider these nine steps for saving your localization dollars:

1. The written word: documentation and software
2. The stored word: glossary and TMS
3. The unwritten word: graphics
4. The spoken word: multimedia
5. Behind the word: engineering
6. The final word: desktop publishing
7. Word flow: project management
8. The forgotten word: last-minute change factor, project updates and change management costs
9. The BIG word: program not project

 

THE WRITTEN WORD

• DOCUMENTATION: REMEMBER THE 3 Cs

  • Clear
    • Write clearly. Convoluted, confusing sentences could result in a mistranslation. Ensure your audience receives your message correctly.
    • Leave all slang and jargon in the lunch room; catchy phrases in one language could lead to confusion – or worse – in another.
  • Concise
    • Eliminate excess words and complex sentences. Use the "KIS" factor: keep it simple.
  • Consistent
    • Instructions should be consistent: use the same words for the same actions.
    • Re-use these sentences throughout all the content to be localized: documentation, online help, software, the Web. This is not a literary masterpiece; it’s a roadmap to success with your product.
    • Keep your folder structure the same; changes = extra costs.

• SOFTWARE

  • No hard coding, no concatenated strings, no character limitations
  • “A stitch in time saves nine.” Fully test and internationalize your product before sending it for localization. Costs for post-release bug fixes increase radically when done in several languages.
  • How much do you save? The common rule of thumb: for each stage of software development, the cost to fix a bug is exponential. If a bug costs $1 to fix during the specification phase, apply the general rule:
    • $10 in design phase
    • $100 in working code
    • $1,000 in released software
  • Remember: bugs in code do not stand alone! The longer you wait to fix a bug, the greater the risk. There might be dependencies on the bug, and dependencies increase risks in changing the code. Waiting increases costs.
  • Have a documented internationalization test plan.
  • Avoid unnecessary last-minute changes. Nice to have or necessary? Weigh cost to inclusion: remember any change includes software, help and documentation.

 

THE STORED WORD: GLOSSARY AND TRANSLATION MANAGEMENT

• Multilingual glossaries: fundamental for achieving high-quality localization and avoiding costly rework of inconsistencies or worse, having to rescue a botched brand.

  • Includes translations of terms specific to the product, company, and industry, as well as acronyms, abbreviations, and a “do not translate” list.

• TMS: Translation Management System – a database that stores source sentences (segments) and the translated equivalents – is your major gateway to savings.

  • Benefit from ICE matches
  • Manage client review change
  • Reduce PM costs
  • Automate standard steps: TM update, file analysis, file prep

 

THE UNWRITTEN WORD: GRAPHICS

• WORDLESS: The old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words," can be adapted here to, "Wordless pictures are worth thousands saved."

  • Global graphics: ensure graphics are not offensive to targeted country
  • Use a web-safe color pallet to avoid costly color retro-fitting

• Think ONION: Word in graphics a must? Save all layers of editable source files for secure accessibility. Saving only the final image means costly recreation for localization.

 

THE SPOKEN WORD

• MULTIMEDIA

  • Contact your LSP for knowledgeable experience in cost-savings in this prone-to-be expensive area.
  • To save dollars when making training videos, choose the first option in each:
    • short vs. long training
    • subtitles vs. VO
    • VO vs. re-filming
    • broadcast to the web vs. rendering to DVD
  • Avoid long gaps or spaces in speech: cutting minutes saves thousands in your multilingual quest.
  • Provide clear direction: avoid costly re-recording and post-editing.

• RECORDING

  • It’s your message, not the man: focus on voice quality, not fancy studio furnishings or name-brand voices
  • Factor the culture of the targeted country: messaging and background graphics need to be appropriate and localizable
  • Deals to consider:
    • 60 for 30 second deals (buyouts) for target languages – get twice the time for the same price
    • Small bites or a mouthful? Same cost for multiple small segments as for one larger piece
    • Great studio savings on grouping languages or multiple videos
  • Be exact in scheduling studio and talent time: under- or over-booking could double recording costs

 

BEHIND THE WORDS: ENGINEERING

Engineering costs range from $50-$300 per hour. Preparation before localization reduces localization costs.
These costs center on two areas:

• Language translation

  • Preparation of source materials for localization
  • Extraction of text for translation
  • Leveraging of 100% matches

• Technical environment

  • Placing translated text into desired environment
  • Functionality testing of target language

 

THE FINAL WORD: DESKTOP PUBLISHING

• DTP AND PRINTING: Choose the right layout application to support all your target languages and fonts. Talk to your LSP and find out all your options BEFORE your start.

  • QuarkXPress has limited support for some Unicode languages
  • Ventura Publisher does not support double-byte languages
  • QuickSilver (Interleaf) does not support Arabic

• SPARE A TREE: Don’t print thick manuals: web publish or CD/DVD press instead.

 

WORD FLOW: PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Project management comprises 10-15% of the total localization costs. An experienced project manager is the life force behind any project establishing the vital client-vendor relationship so essential for success. Project managers oversee every key element in the localization process and keep the client informed. Good project management includes risk management to help the client stay on track and within budget. A great project manager brings peace of mind.

 

THE FORGOTTEN WORD: THE “LAST-MINUTE CHANGE” FACTOR,
PROJECT UPDATES AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT COSTS

Beware of project creep! If possible, try to avoid any updates. If updates are necessary, allow for them in the original plan and deliver them in one bundle.

 

PROGRAM, NOT PROJECT: COMMITMENT=SAVINGS

• RECEIVE PREFERRED TREATMENT

  Commit to a program and receive:
  • Volume discounts
  • Multi-language discount for 5 or more languages
  • Group projects together quarterly to get cost efficiencies
  • Consolidate smaller projects until absolutely necessary avoiding multiple minimum charges

• YOUR LSP and YOU

  Work closely with your LSP and yield much larger savings in the long term:
  • Establish a localization program
  • Build custom workflows
  • Customize tools

 

TIME TO WRITE + TIME TO TRANSLATE

Localization costs are dependent upon two constraints: the desired turnaround time and the level of quality that a client is willing to afford in that amount of time.